Orcas ramming boats doing some 'teenage roughhousing': UBC researchers
Gangs of killer whales have been causing chaos off the coast of Spain for the past few years, ramming into hundreds of boats, causing expensive damage to some and even sinking three since 2020.
What’s causing orcas to target vessels – bumping into them and tearing their rudders off – remains a mystery, researchers at the UBC Marine Mammal Research Centre have a theory: teenage mischief.
The whales seem to go after sailboats in particular, and specifically their rudders, which led the scientists to think the animals are motivated by curiosity above all. In addition, most of the orcas interacting with boats in the area are juveniles.
“Killer whales are very curious and they love to inspect things and see what’s going on,” Taryn Scarff, a masters student with the research centre told CTV News. “They’re just having some fun, and it’s just some teenager behaviour that’s gotten a little bit out of hand.”
Gotten out of hand, because killer whales are massive and can cause a lot of harm with out meaning to.
“If they were purposefully attacking the boats, they would be a little bit more aggressive in their approach. They seem to be approaching the boats quite calmly,” Scarff said, noting that the whales only appear aggressive because of their size.
“If it was a more planned attack, I would assume they’d be putting more speed into it. But that would also definitely take a toll on their bodies – it would be like us running into a wall over and over,” she continued.
The main theory that emerged when the behaviour among the killer whale population off the Spanish coast began was that one individual whale—the mother within the pod—had a traumatic event involving a sailboat, and she was seeking revenge on the vessels, Scarff explained.
She also began teaching younger whales to do the same.
“They saw mum doing this behaviour and thought it looked really fun and cool so they started doing it,” said Scarff.
The boat-bashing behaviour is now catching on with the young whales in another group, and seafarers' encounters with them are increasing.
That’s because, similar to human teenagers, killer whales have fads. And boat-bumping may just be the hot new thing with the kids in that area.
Another example of an orca fad is when a female in the Pacific Northwest’s Puget Sound wore a dead salmon on her nose, and the trend spread to all three pods in her area. That trend sparked in the 1980s, and died quickly after it appeared.
Like human fads, researchers don’t know how long this one will last.
Scientists are trying to figure out why exactly the whales are ramming boats, and what particularly interests them about said boats, before anyone gets seriously hurt.
A research group specific to the phenomenon has been set up in Spain, and they created an app to track killer whale sightings in hopes there won’t be any more sinkings.
Sea crews can check the app while travelling, and use it like a traffic light. Greens mean no killer whale sightings in the area, yellow means some and red means there have been many, so find a different route.
Scarff notes that current theories about why orcas are targeting boats are purely speculation from researchers at this point, and after three years of research into this phenomenon, there’s more work to do.
“At the end of the day, who really knows other than the killer whales?” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Asking rent prices up 9.3% across Canada, Ontario sees only decline: report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
What is basic income, and how would it impact me?
Parliamentarians are considering a pair of bills aiming to lift people out of poverty through a basic income program, but some fear these types of systems could result in more taxes for Canadians who are already financially struggling.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Mexico's president accuses press and volunteer searchers for missing people of 'necrophilia'
The administration of Mexico's president has accused the press and volunteer searchers who look for the bodies of missing people of 'necrophilia,' comments that drew criticism this week.
WATCH Expecting an interest rate cut in June? Don't bet on it after new jobs data
Canada's labour market rebounded in April, adding more than 90,000 jobs, a staggering number of new positions after four consecutive months of little change.
Out-of-control wildfire burning near Fort McMurray
As of 9 a.m. on Friday, the wildfire burning 28 kilometres southwest of the northeastern Alberta city was 25 hectares in size.
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.